Longstown
Longstown is a city in the Dragoonasag state of Salviana. The city is the largest city in the state and the county seat of Long County. The city is located on the Long River, and the city, county, and river are named after John Relgard Long. The city is nicknamed the Long River City, Relgardtown, and Relgard's Den. Longstown is located in Western Salviana, and its metropolitan area occupies much of Long County and a small portion of the state of Zinrico. The city is the principal city of the Longstown Statistical Area, which includes Long, Vorgett, and Geilles counties. History The Longstown area was inhabited by native Parkufos before English-speaking settlers arrived in the 1700s. The area was the location of a small Parkufo village called "Iilosawka". When English-speaking settlers arrived, Iilosawka was destroyed. In 1797, a surveyor named John Relgard Long and a group of men first explored the area, and agreed that the area was where they wanted to live for the rest of their lives. In 1798, Long and his men began building houses and a small post office. In 1799, the settlement was founded as "Long's Town", after the man who led the group there. In 1825, it would become "Longstown". In the 1830s, Longstown began to grow rapidly as more people moved there. In 1847, Longstown became the capital of Salviana, and was the state capital until 1855. In 1855, the capital was moved to Winston, and the old State House in Longstown became the Long County Government House. In 1857, Longstown residents protested the Salviana state government for passing what they believed to be unfair laws. They protested by swimming in the Long River. This "protest" continued for two weeks, and then the Longstown police ordered the people to get out of the river. In 1862, a fire broke out at the City Hall; the fire was known as the Longstown Fire of 1862. The fire nearly destroyed the City Hall before the Fire Department arrived to put it out. The city decided to finish destroying the City Hall and build a new one. The new City Hall was completed in 1865. In 1867, another fire started in the city's Loehles neighborhood. The Fire Department quickly arrived and put out the fire. In the 1880s, the city's first skyscrapers were built. By 1900, the city had six skyscrapers. By the 1920s, the city had twenty-seven skyscrapers. In 1926, the city of Longstown received much new business when dance halls, clubs, and restaurants began popping up along the city's Relgard Avenue. Longstown experienced an economic boom that lasted from 1926 to 1928. During the 1930s, many dance halls and clubs were forced to shut down. In 1942, Longstown became known as the "City of Crime" because from 1942 to 1951, the city had a big crime problem. Criminals robbed stores and banks, stealing money and items. Gangs roamed the streets, and Longstowners lived in fear, knowing that they could be attacked if they left their homes. The "Longstown Era of Fear" ended in 1951, when police arrested the thieves and gang members, restoring order. In the 1960s, more business was brought to Longstown with the construction of Dragoonasag Interstate Route 11, and later Dragoonasag Interstate Route 92. After those freeways were built through the city, more skyscrapers were built. By 1976, Longstown had thirty-seven skyscrapers. Since 1976, three new skyscrapers were built. In 1980, some of the older skyscrapers were demolished. In the 1990s, Longstown's economy boomed again with the arrival of three new businesses. Longstowners lived "the good life" until 1999, when the Longstown Stock Exchange began showing figures that worried the city. In 2004, Longstown's mayor established a 6:00 curfew for the residents of the city after the city experienced problems with youth causing trouble at night. Demographics Population Longstown had a population of 1,629,576 during the last census. Below is the population since 1799. Race Below is the racial make-up of Longstown's population. Economy Longstown has enjoyed a good economy in the 1990s. Since 1999, the Longstown Stock Exchange has shown figures that worried the city's people. Longstown's economy focuses mostly on arts and manufacturing; it used to have great focus on architecture. Longstown has five banks; the Longstown Bank is the biggest bank in the city. The four other banks in the city are branches of banks headquartered in other cities or states. Climate Longstown has cold winters and warm-to-hot summers. In summer, the city may experience temperatures as high as 92°F, but temperatures rarely get any higher. In summer, Longstown may experience severe thunderstorms with high winds. In winter, temperatures may dip as low as 11 degrees. The city has had blizzards in 1968 and 1983. Temperatures in Longstown do not get above 60°F in winter. Education The city of Longstown is served by three school districts. These districts are the West Longstown School District, the Northburg School District, and the East Longstown School District. Longstown is served by the Longstown City Schools and Long County Schools. Longstown is home to two colleges; they are the University of Salviana at Longstown (USalLong) and Western Salviana University. Architecture Much of the architecture of Longstown is modern; however, some buildings in Longstown date back to the 1800s. The Longstown Historic District contains the oldest buildings in the city; among those buildings is John Relgard Long House, which was the residence of the city's namesake. Downtown Longstown is the location of the city's skyscrapers, among them, John Relgard Long Bank Tower (JRLBT), Drageast Centre Building, and the Drageast Bank headquarters. Notable residents and natives * Stedman Blacksbury (1933-2011) was born in Longstown. References